


Hold Hands and Play Nice

by coh_i



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate universe - Chess Champions, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Mutual Pining, Pining, Rivalry, Rivals to Lovers, Slow Burn, i mean i GUES S
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:20:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29948499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coh_i/pseuds/coh_i
Summary: She had to be careful.Careful not to mess up. Careful to not get caught up in the act of it all. In the glamour and the charm of all that is Alisa.Careful not to get too comfortable.After all, Alisa doesn't really have feelings for her.------In other words: Miwa and Alisa are both chess champions who fake date to win a couples' chess tournament.
Relationships: Haiba Alisa/Kageyama Miwa
Kudos: 6
Collections: Haikyuu WLW Bang





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much to my beta, @ochakomochi (twitter) for putting up with and editing for me ☺️

_Buzz._

_Buzz._

_Buzz._

Miwa groans, reaching out to hit her phone, tapping aimlessly in the hopes of turning off the alarm without having to open her eyes. When the sounds stop but the buzzing continues, she pries open an eye, glaring at her phone. How people could be so alert and awake this early in the morning, she would never know.

She glances at it, watching as texts come streaming in, links to articles, exclamations of excitement, group chats discussing who would and wouldn’t be a part of it. She scrolls through quickly, trying to find the source of the commotion until a headline catches her eye. 

_New national chess tournament soon to launch._

She launches up out of bed at that, eyes wide as she scrolls through to find some, _any_ information she can find on it. Her mind is going a mile a minute. A new tournament? Since when? By who? Where? 

It takes her a good minute before she finds a credible article explaining it but when she does, she flops back on the bed in a huff. All that commotion for a _couples’_ tournament. She sighs, pulling the blankets back over her head. That was _not_ worth getting up this early for. 

Sunlight streams into her apartment, leaving her warm in the cold winter month. She’s grateful for the large windows on days like today. She feels the sleep start to creep back in as she lays there. Her mind is drifting, as it does in that weird in-between, asleep-but-not-quite-asleep moment, but just as she’s about to let it overtake her, her phone rings. She groans, reaching over to grab it once again. 

She doesn’t bother to look at the display, already knowing who’s calling. 

“What?” 

“Did you hear?” Saeko sounds much too perky for this early in the morning, in Miwa’s firm opinion. She can hear the kettle boiling in the background and she can practically see Saeko leaning against the counter as she had so many times before. A sight Miwa had seen the several times she had crashed at their - ‘their’ being Akiteru and Saeko’s - place. 

“Yeah.” 

“So?” 

“So… what?” She sits up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. 

“Are you going to go?” 

“No.” 

“Why not?” The voice is muffled, Saeko’s phone seemingly pressed between her cheek and her shoulder as she pours the water. “Akiteru and I are going.” 

“Why would I? It’s not like I’m in a relationship.” She sighs. “Besides, who says it’ll be that big anyway, I mean… it’s a _couples’_ tournament.” 

“It’s already gathered a lot of attention though. And who knows, maybe-” 

“It doesn’t matter.” Miwa is up and out of bed at this point, her own kettle boiling away on the stove. “The circle of people who want to date me and the circle of people who are at my level for chess are two very separate circles. What’s the point?” 

She can practically hear Saeko rolling her eyes as she says a “Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.” 

They say their goodbyes at that, agreeing to brunch later that day. She goes on to grumble through her morning, her coffee steeping on the counter as she waters her plants. 

“It’s not like I could do it, even if I wanted to.” She says this to her spider plant, holding it up in front of her. Her first plant, not that it mattered. 

Okay, maybe it mattered a little bit. So she had a little favouritism. So what? 

* * *

Every time her phone goes off, she rolls her eyes. She’s lost count of how many times now, but the messages just keep flooding in.

_Are you going to do it?_

No. 

_Did you hear about the tournament?_

Yes.

_Are you going to go?_

No. 

_Did you hear Yamaguchi and Yachi are going?_

... No, but it wasn’t surprising.

It was never-ending. And exhausting. And frankly, she didn’t have the time. Nor did she want to. She didn’t understand why everyone thought she was entering anyway. Or was asking if she was entering. They knew she was single. They _knew_ (‘ _thanks for the reminder assholes’_ ). So it wasn’t like she _could_ enter anyways. 

She’d turn off her phone if she didn’t have to leave soon. 

Not that brunch was any better. 

She leans back in her chair and listens to them rattle on, Akiteru, Saeko, and Akane talking over each other animatedly. The conversation washes over her, her ears picking up bits and pieces of it. 

“How long is it?” 

“Did you hear about the Miya’s?”

“Four days I heard.” 

“What about them?” 

“They’re both entering.”

“Both of them? I didn’t know their partners could play chess.” 

“Who else?” 

“One of them is dating Suna Rintarou.” 

“You guys are entering, right?” 

“No way… _Suna?_ I’m not looking forward to facing that team.” 

“Yeah, Akiteru and I are going to the sign-ups when they open.” 

“That’s if you make it that far.” 

The overlapping conversations blur together and she just watches her friends, their hands moving animatedly. It’s not until Saeko gives her a poke that she shakes out of it. 

“Hm?” 

“How can you not be in it? You’re really not going?” That was Akane. 

“I’m really not going.” 

“You can’t just _not_ be in it! You’re already on the list of possible people to enter!” Saeko says, looking at her.

Miwa just shrugs at that. “Yeah, _possible_. Not guaranteed.” She leans forward to grab her water. “Can we change the subject now?” 

“No.” Miwa glares at Saeko. 

“Can’t you just find someone to enter with?” 

“It doesn’t work like that.” 

“You’re the best in the prefecture, and one of the top players in the country, of course you have to enter.”

“It’s not that I’m against entering, but how am I going to find someone good enough to enter with, huh? Tell me that.” 

Saeko shares a glance at Akiteru and Miwa raises an eyebrow. _Couples and their wordless communication._ She sighs. 

“What?” 

“Well you don’t actually have to date someone to enter, do you?” When Miwa just stares at her blankly, she continues. “Find someone who’s as good as you, and see if they’ll pretend for a bit. Just as long as the tournament goes on. It’ll be fine.” 

“Okay, but who would I-” 

It hits her then. She knows. Saeko probably does too. When she looks over at the other woman, she confirms it. She had someone in mind when she suggested the idea, and Miwa knows exactly who. 

Alisa. 

Miwa’s face scrunches up. _Alisa._ She’s only… Do people have archnemeses these days? If they did, Alisa would be hers. She sighs. She’s also her best chance. 

“Who says she would even agree?” 

“You won’t know until you try.” 

* * *

She’d be lying if she said it wasn’t a good idea. It was good press. The sponsors she could get from it would be really nice, especially now. And as much as she pains to admit it, Alisa is good. Too good, almost. She’s one of the best players out there, not that Miwa would admit that. And she wasn’t _boring_. Admittedly, the only one who wasn’t. 

She lets out another sigh. Man, she was doing that a lot lately. 

Alisa is the best and if she wanted someone who wouldn’t drag her down… it would be her. 

**Text to: Saeko**

**Do you know anyone with Alisa’s number?**

**Text from: Saeko**

**I think Kei’s boyfriend is friends with her brother. One second.**

**Text from: Saeko**

**It’s XXX-XXXX. Ganbatte <3 **

She paces the apartment after that. Past her plants. Around the kitchen island. Stopping in front of the bed. Repeat. She could hear her mother in her ear (‘ _You’ll wear a hole in the floor if you continue like that.’)_ but still, she paced. 

It was just a phone call. One phone call! 

How bad could it be?

* * *

It was bad. 

She screeched before she did it, hitting the call button fully prepared to throw the phone across the room. It rings twice before there’s an answer. 

“Hello?” 

“Um... Hi! Haiba-san?”

The voice was hesitant on the other side. “Yes… Who am I speaking to?”

“It’s Kageyama. Kageyama Miwa.” 

“Oh…” The surprise is evident in her voice but Miwa is just grateful she doesn’t ask how she got her number. Saying that she got it from her friend’s husband’s little brother’s boyfriend doesn’t exactly paint her in a nice light. “What do you need?” 

“I-” She paused. “How do you know I need something?” 

“Why else would you be calling?”

Miwa rolls her eyes. _Smartass._

“Okay, so I need something.” She runs a hand through her hair, going back to pacing her apartment. “Well… I have a proposition for you.” 

“Okay…” She sounds skeptical. Miwa would too, if the shoe was on the other foot. 

“You’re single, right?” 

“Yes… Where are you going with this?” 

Miwa steels herself, running a hand over her face. _Like a bandaid. You’ve got this._ “I’m sure you’ve heard about the couples’ tournament at this point.” 

The silence on the other end is palpable, but she pushes forward, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could even think about stopping them. “Anyways… I was wondering if you would like to do it with me?” Her voice tilts up into a question, sounding much more nervous than she cared to admit. 

“We’re not a couple.”

“Yes… I know.” 

“It’s a couples’ tournament.” 

“Again… I know.” 

“So...”

“I was thinking… We could fake it?” She looks out the window, watching the traffic moving through the street below. She’s never not wanted to be on the phone more than this moment. 

“I-” 

“You’re my best chance.” She interrupts. 

“What?” 

Miwa groans, running a hand over her face. This call was starting to feel like pulling teeth. Actually, she’d rather have to pull her own teeth.

“I… You’re the best chance I’ve got. And I know for a fact I’m yours. We could take the tournament. Easy.” She’s pacing again. 

“Okay.” 

“I just know that, if it was the two of us-” She stops in the middle of the kitchen. “Wait what? Did you say ‘okay?” 

“I did, yes.” 

“Oh.” 

“Did you expect me to say no?” 

“Well… yeah.” 

“I’m not stupid, Kageyama-san.” 

“I know that.” 

“No one has ever given me as much trouble in games as you have.” 

“I… Thank you?” 

“It’s a compliment.” 

“So… I guess we’re doing this then?” 

“I guess so.” 

“We should probably talk about it… make a plan, you know?” 

“How about over breakfast tomorrow?” 

“See you then.”

“See you then.” 

They hang up but Miwa just stands there for a minute.

“What the fuck just happened?” 


	2. Chapter 2

“You’re early.” 

Miwa gets to the breakfast place first, but she’s only there for moments before she sees the other woman.

“So are you.” 

She’s exactly how she remembers her, all legs and blonde hair, movements as confident and fluid as her playing. 

“Then I guess we’re both on time.” 

“Shall we?” 

Miwa nods, gesturing for Alisa to go first. Her heart is hammering but she doesn’t really know why. They follow the waitress to a corner booth, slipping in after she’s laid the menus down. Once she’s gone, it’s all business, and the menus are left untouched on the table.

“Based on how much publicity it has already gathered for it, we’ll have to go out in public together a few times. Perhaps at some smaller tournaments.” 

Miwa sighs at that. “I don't play in the smaller tournaments if I don't have to.” 

“I know. But for this, we should. We also need to practice.”

“That’s a given.” 

Alisa just looks at her. “We should be seen practicing together, I mean.” 

“Oh.”  _ I see.  _

“It would also be better if we practiced together so we could learn each other's moves better.” 

Something in Miwa’s heart hurts at that. She doesn’t know why, nor does she want to address it, but she can’t help but think back to all the times she spent studying their games after they had played. The wins and the losses. Something about the idea that Alisa doesn't do the same makes her… sad. 

“Right…” 

“When's the sign-up deadline?” 

“Are you always this clinical about things?

“I just want to be organized.”

It takes a solid moment before Miwa realizes that Alisa is looking at her expectantly. “February 5th…” 

“We should do that as soon as we can then.” Alisa is making notes in a little notebook. 

“Yes.” Miwa looks out at the traffic passing them by. “We should.” 

* * *

They spend a lot of time together over the next few weeks. They’re strategic about it, making sure to be seen in the right places, by the right people. Seen enough. Small hints to show their relationship to others. To establish it. 

Holding hands in a coffee shop that just happened to be where a well-known reporter was having lunch. 

Walking through a park, arm in arm, where some people were practicing.

Going on dates where they had heard certain people would be. 

Just enough that people had seen them together. Enough that people started to talk. 

And boy did they talk.

* * *

“I’m here.” 

Miwa rushes to the window and peers down, spotting the top of Alisa’s head. 

“Okay, okay, I’m coming.” 

She hangs up the phone and grabs her jacket on her way out, locking the door behind her. They had waited before deciding to enter a tournament together, but it had finally arrived. Her nerves were still jumping, despite the fact that she had played in many tournaments before. She chalks it up to tournament stress, but it doesn’t feel quite the same this time. 

“Hey.” 

Alisa turns around at the sound of her voice. She looks like something out of a Hallmark movie, all put together in her winter coat, the snow falling gently. 

“Ready?” 

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” 

The walk there is quiet, just the two of them slipping between people on their way. When they get close, Alisa catches her hand, holding it in her own. Miwa’s heart thrums in her ears. She looks down at their hands, cursing the butterflies in her stomach as Alisa intertwines their fingers. It’s just for show, so why was her body reacting like this? It didn’t make sense. 

The nervousness melts away as the venue comes into view and the facade that Miwa had so carefully constructed over the years falls into place. A confident front backed by actual skill. 

Heads turn as they enter the door, the two of them being every bit the power couple. The confidence rolls off of them in waves. 

They can hear the whispers as they walk by, but they don’t pay them any mind. They’re there to be seen, after all. 

“Name?” The man working the check-in table doesn’t bother looking up, his tone flat. A long day for him, clearly. 

“Kageyama Miwa.” 

“Haiba Alisa.” 

His head snaps up then, and his jaw drops.    
  


“Wh… What are you two doing here?” The incredulous tone gives way to the fact that neither of them had played in a small tournament in a while. 

“We’re here to play chess.” 

“Right… Right! Yes, of course. Sorry.” He grabs their slips and passes them across the table, eyes flitting down to their entwined hands. He doesn’t say anything other than a farewell and phrase of good luck, but the two of them share a glance as they walk away. 

More eyes follow them as they enter the main hall. Miwa can feel them on her back, new ones replacing old ones as they pass more people. They take their seats, lucky enough to have been placed at adjacent tables. 

The games go smoothly, to no one’s surprise. Miwa feels a little bad for the people they’re playing, but it can’t be helped. 

“You’re really going to put your rook there? Interesting…” 

Miwa rolls her eyes. “What are you trying to imply?” 

Alisa shrugs, moving a pawn forward on her own board. “Absolutely nothing. I just think it’s interesting.” 

The longer the games go on, the more at ease Miwa feels. The old banter comes back to them easily, their trick forgotten for a moment. It’s just them and chess. All of the uncomfortable uncertainty that was flitting about earlier fading away. 

“Perhaps you should focus on your own game, rather than mine.” 

“Who needs to focus on their own game when…” She slides her queen to the edge of the board. “It’s finished. Checkmate.” 

* * *

Miwa’s own game and the following games go by quickly. Before they know it, Miwa is watching Alisa’s final game, sitting on the sidelines to cheer for her ‘girlfriend’. Not that there was any chance Alisa wouldn’t make it. Miwa’s sure she will. It seemed kind of unfair for them to be playing the smaller tournaments when they ended up winning them so easily, but it was needed.

She’s right, and Alisa finishes her game soon after. She gives her opponent a firm handshake and a bow, walking over to Miwa when she’s finished. 

“You think too much when you play,” Miwa says, nodding at the other girl. “Want to grab some coffee?”

“What? No ‘congratulations?’” Alisa reaches her hand out, taking Miwa’s in her own. 

“No.” 

Alisa rolls her eyes. “You could do with thinking a bit more if you ask me. And yes, but I’ll have tea.” 

“Of course you will.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“Nothing.” She smiles. “Shall we?” 

They exit the building, a sharp wind making them shiver. The warmth of the shop was welcoming in comparison, the smell of coffee washing over them. They settle in quickly, sitting at a table near the window. They sit, quiet for a bit, hands cupped around their drinks, before Miwa speaks up. 

“You could save a lot of time if you thought less. You know how to play, why do you think so much?” 

“There’s nothing wrong with thinking, Kageyama-san.” 

“Don’t you think you should call me Miwa?” 

Alisa looks at her then, but Miwa is looking out the window. “Oh... yes. My apologies.” 

“There’s nothing wrong with thinking but... You’re so good. You could just play and you would be fine.” Her eyebrows scrunch a little. She doesn’t understand it… but she wants to. When she looks up, Alisa is still looking at her. 

“I’m good  _ because _ I think so much. You should try it sometime.” She says the last part with a teasing smile. 

They may not understand each other in some ways. But that was okay. 

* * *

The break is finished all too soon, and before they know it, they’re back at the tournament. 

Somewhere along the line, Miwa had forgotten that she would be playing Alisa now. It’s not a surprise they made it to the finals, but she had forgotten nonetheless. 

They look at each other, eyes blazing. Rivals yet again. Hands are shaken and when they sit, it begins. 

The felt bottoms of the pieces make muted noises as they move across the board. The firm confident placement of a piece. In any other setting, the sound would go unnoticed. But here, in this silence, the pieces echo. A signal to go. Make a move. Action over inaction. 

Miwa locks eyes with the girl in front of her, a lazy smirk on her face. 

“You really think you’re going to beat me this time, don’t you?” 

Green eyes meet brown. “I haven’t lost yet.” She doesn’t seem phased. 

“You haven’t won yet either.” 

“Yes. Well. All in good time, darling.” 

* * *

By the time they get near to the end, a small crowd has gathered. Many were other participants, people the two of them had beaten to get to this point. Others? Other players that they didn’t get to play and bystanders who had come to observe. 

The air in the room is tense, and it’s so quiet you could hear a pin drop. But none of this matters to the two of them. Their focus is on each other, eyes sharp and calculating. Alisa takes her time, but she’s smart about it. You can almost see the cogs turning in her brain. Analysing. Every possibility spinning through her mind. When she does make a move, she’s sure. Certainty allows her the confidence she has. 

Miwa, on the other hand, is a loose cannon. Her moves coming from out of left field and so fast that Alisa rarely expects them. It makes her blood rush, knowing that she’s pulled one over on her. 

A challenge on both ends. And no one really knows who’s going to win until the very end. Not until Alisa knocks over her own king, taking the loss gracefully. 

“Checkmate.” 


	3. Chapter 3

“Names?” 

“Kageyama Miwa and Haiba Alisa.” Alisa says, pointing from Miwa to herself. 

The man’s head snaps up, eyes flitting between the two of them. “I... Yes. Yes, of course.” 

Miwa raises an eyebrow at him. People have been talking. A lot. Whispers and rumours. Over the last few months, with their visits to tournaments, dates out in the public, the strategic placement of themselves in the public eye… it was no surprise people were talking. Usually, Miwa would ignore them but she kept her ear to the ground this time. Needed to. They needed to know what was being said. 

Needed to know if their lie was believed. 

The sign-up is painless, and soon they’re all set, with assurances of confirmation emails to be sent later in the week. They leave, the gentle comfort of Alisa’s hand in hers.  _ Wait since when was it a comfort? I- _

Before she can finish her thought, they’re bombarded, microphones and cameras being shoved their way. 

“Excuse me!”

“Kageyama-san! Haiba-san!” 

“Over here please!”

“Do you have time for some questions?”

Miwa rolls her eyes. “Do you hound everyone signing up?” But when Alisa gives her a nudge, she smiles. “I mean... I’m sure we can spare some time.” 

Alisa nods, sliding her hand around Miwa’s waist smoothly. Miwa’s heart is beating so loud she’s sure Alisa can hear it. She moves her arm up,  _ very _ aware of her own hand on Alisa’s shoulder. 

They smile for the cameras, every bit playing the happy couple. 

The entire walk back, the only thing going through Miwa’s head is Alisa’s hand in hers, and the ghost of her fingers around her waist. The realization that Alisa said something hits as she looks at Miwa expectantly. 

“Sorry?”

“I said, this is it.” 

Miwa looks up, seeing her own apartment block. “Oh... Yes... right.” She looks back over at Alisa, dropping their hands. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Alisa nods. “Yes.”

“Unless you’d like to come in?” The words are out of her mouth before the thought even finished crossing her mind.

“W-what?”

“Would you like to come in?” She was in this far, she figured. “I was thinking we could practice.” 

“Okay.”

Miwa shakes her head. “You and your ‘okay’s.” 

“What?”

“Nothing at all. Come on then.” She waves Alisa to follow behind her as she enters the building. 

The ride up the elevator was quiet, as was the walk to the room. 

“Would you like a drink?” 

“Tea please.” 

“Why am I not surprised.” 

The air sits awkwardly as they wait for the kettle to boil and Miwa tries to think of something,  _ anything _ , to fill the silence. Alisa is perched on the edge of the sofa. 

“If you want to set up the board, it’s just in the drawer beside you.” She nods in the direction of it.

“Okay.” 

By the time the kettle is finished and the drinks are made, the board is set up. Miwa sets the cup down, pushing it towards Alisa. 

“Is speed chess okay?”

Alisa raises an eyebrow, but nods. “That’s fine.”

“No thinking. Just instinct. 5 minutes total.”

Alisa just rolls her eyes. “Yes, I know how to play speed chess.” 

They begin then, and the 5 minutes blow by quickly. Miwa wins with ease. 

“You think too much.” She says, resetting her side of the board. 

“So you’ve said.” 

“And so I’ll say again.” She looks at Alisa. “You know how to play. You should trust your instinct more.” 

“And you should think more.” 

“There isn’t time to think however long you want during speed chess.” 

“You know what I mean.” When she puts her last piece into place, she looks up at Miwa, a determined look in her eyes. 

“Again.”

* * *

This goes on for hours. Miwa wins most, if not all of the games, and it’s not until Alisa yawns that they look at the clock, the _ 1:34am _ blinking back at them, bright in the dim light of the room. 

“Oh shit.”    
  


“I did not realize it was so late.” Alisa stands up, “I’m sorry if I overstayed my welcome.” 

Miwa just waves it off. “You didn’t.” She slides the pieces back into the box. “I didn’t realize the time either.” 

When Alisa grabs her coat, Miwa shakes her head, closing the chess box. “No... no it’s too late to go home now. Please... stay.” She gives her a small smile. “If you’re comfortable.” 

Alisa puts her coat back on the chair slowly. “If you’re sure?” 

“I am. I wouldn’t feel comfortable making you go home this late at night. It’s no worry, really. You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.” 

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly take over your own bed…” 

“Please, I insist.” 

Alisa gives her a small nod. “Okay.” 

Miwa makes the couch up for herself, but the two of them end up sitting on the bed, fresh cups of tea in hand. 

“How long have you been playing chess?” 

“Do you ever talk about anything besides chess?” Miwa raises an eyebrow, but it’s a lighthearted jab.

“Humour me.” 

Miwa’s eyes find their way to the window, watching the city lights beyond. “Well…” 

* * *

_ Tap.  _

_ Tap.  _

_ The moves are slow. Hesitant.  _

_ “You okay?” _

_ She nods.  _

_ “Do you remember what that piece does?”  _

_ The next nod is more hesitant than the first, but a nod nonetheless. The woman just smiles at her, urging her on.  _

_ “It’s okay if you make a mistake. I’ll always help you, you know that.”  _

_ Small hands pick up the knight, rolling the piece between them. She thinks hard before placing it, taking a white pawn in its stead and placing it beside the board.  _

_ That gets a smile from the woman. “See? You’ve got it.”  _

* * *

“My mom taught me. She was really busy with work but… She always made time to play with me. I think I was about 4 or 5.” She takes a sip from her tea. “What about you?” 

* * *

_ “Hello, little one!” The librarian peers over the desk at her, a gentle smile on his face. His black glasses slip down his nose as he leans down. Takeda-san, his name was. “Back again?”  _

_ Alisa nods. She tugs her red wagon in, bright and heavy behind her. “I’ve finished these. May I pick some more today, please?”  _

_ Takeda-san laughs. “Of course you can. Take your time. May I take this?” He gestures to the wagon. When she nods, he pulls the wagon behind the tall counter and places the books in the return bin. He pulls the now-empty wagon back beside the desk. “Would you like to leave this here to drop your books off into?”  _

_ Alisa nods.  _

_ It was a regular occurrence. Little 6-year-old Alisa, wandering through the stacks. Always picking up something new. Takeda-san was nice enough to give her special permission to take out more books than were allowed. She always brought them back anyways.  _

_ She wanders through the shelves, her hands brushing along the spines. She’d almost memorized where all the books go now, at this point. The different textures pass under her fingertips until she stops at one. Its worn black spine sticks out amongst the newer ones in the collection. Its hard cover is rough, rather than the smooth covers like the ones next to it. She pulls it from the shelf carefully, its weight falling into her hands.  _

Chess for beginners,  _ it said.  _

* * *

“I was 6… I had found a book on chess in the library.” She sighs happily. “I’ve been learning ever since.”

“You just learned from books?” 

“At first, yes... Studying gave me the techniques I know now. Chess has been around long enough that almost every move has been done before. You learned through experience... didn’t you?” 

Miwa nods. “I did. I learned the game and then learned the theory.”

* * *

_ “I won?” Young eyes glisten. The girl looks up at her mother, the excitement clear on her face.  _

_ “You won!” She cheers, picking up the small girl and spinning her around.  _

_ Once back on the ground, Miwa looks up at her, hopeful. “Can we play again?”  _

_ Her mother laughs.  _

_ “Of course we can.”  _

_ As they set up the pieces, Kageyama-san looks at her child. She knows her skill will surpass her own soon. She’s already almost there, if she’s being honest with herself.  _

_ “Ready?”  _

_ “Ready.”  _

* * *

“I fell in love with the game as soon as I played it.” 

Alisa nods. “Now that, I understand.” 

* * *

_ “What book are you reading now?” Lev prods his sister’s side.  _

_ “It’s a book on chess.”  _

_ He scrunches his nose at that. “Sounds boring.”  _

_ She doesn’t bother looking up. “It’s not.”  _

_ Her nose stays buried in the book until the smell of dinner fills her senses, pulling her away, however briefly. When she returns, it’s right back to it. She finishes it before bed that night.  _

_ After her mom tucks her in, her mind spins, running through the things she read. Chess…  _

_ She made up her mind that night. She was going to try it.  _

* * *

“Do you remember your first win?” 

“As if I would ever forget.”

* * *

_ “You suck.”  _

_ Miwa rolls her eyes, leaning forward in her chair from where she was lounging. “Have you ever considered that maybe that’s what I want you to think?”  _

_ “That doesn’t make-” _

_ She moves her knight, taking their queen in the process. “Checkmate.”  _

_ “What..” They stand, looking at the board in disbelief. “How did you-”  _

_ She ignores the question, filling out her winning slip. When she stands, she looks at her opponent. “Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy?”  _

_ She throws them a wink, leaving them gaping behind her.  _

* * *

“There is really nothing like it.” 

“It was the moment that made me think, ‘ _ Maybe I can do this.’ _ ” 

* * *

_ Alisa moves the piece after some thought. She has a cool facade that is not mirrored by the boy in front of her. His frustration comes off of him in waves, his face red and his brow furrowed.  _

_ She can practically see the cogs turning in his mind. Her own blows through scenario after scenario, prepared for anything he might present her with.  _

_ He moves a rook with shaky hands, unsure in his choice but unable to move another piece after he picks it up. She gives him a small smile after he’s finished, moving her own piece.  _

_ “Check.”  _

_ He looks down, hands curling into fists. Their eyes meet and she gives a nod, both of them knowing checkmate is inevitable.  _

_ He knocks his king over, shaking her hand curtly before leaving the table.  _

* * *

“Do you remember the first game we ever played?” 

Miwa chuckles. 

“Of course I do.”

* * *

_ The first time they play together, it’s a small free tournament in Tokyo. When Miwa’s mother had mentioned coming into the city she had begged to come along, clinging to her mother’s side as she packs her bag for the next morning. “Please? I won’t be a bother.” She says. “I’ll just hang out in the park near your work.”  _

_ She liked the train ride. Arguably, it was her favourite part. She watches the landscape blur by, the train barely shaking despite how fast they’re going. She could sit there endlessly, the calm movement of the train, her music in her ears, just… at peace. But the ride is over far too soon for her liking.  _

_ They pull into the station just as the clock hits 10, everyone rushing out with their bags. Miwa’s mother leads the way through the crowd, pulling Miwa behind her. Once at the office, Miwa makes her way through Tokyo’s streets, slipping through the crowd.  _

_ She finds the tournament easily. Almost as easily as she wins her first few games. The more she wins, the more confident she grows. That is, until she faces a certain blonde.  _

_ Tap. Click.  _

_ Tap. Click.  _

_ They’re consistent in their playing. There’s not much hesitation in the back to forth. Confident. No doubt in their technique. Though the other girl takes a while before making a move, when she does, there is no doubt in her mind. Miwa flicks her eyes to look at the girl again. She glances back, giving Miwa a small smile, tilting her head toward the board to indicate her turn.  _

_ Tap.  _

_ Click.  _

_ This was the longest game Miwa had played today. She wasn’t about to lose now.  _

_ Tap.  _

_ Click. _

_ “Nervous yet?”  _

_ A laugh. “You wish.”  _

_ Tap.  _

_ Click.  _

_ Miwa looks at her. “You don’t know what I wish.”  _

_ Tap.  _

_ Click.  _

_ “Care to tell me?” _

_ Miwa pretends to think for a moment. She shrugs, throwing the blonde a grin. ”Lose and maybe I’ll tell you.”  _

_ “Guess I’ll never know then.”  _

* * *

They fall asleep soon after, but Miwa lays awake for a while before sleep takes her. Something in her had settled tonight. What that was, she didn’t know. 

But what she did know, was whatever feeling she had when Alisa was near, needed to  _ stop. _

* * *

When she wakes in the morning, she can smell the coffee before she even opens her eyes, but when she does look, she realizes Alisa is gone. The bed is made neatly, blankets folded and sheets pulled tightly. 

Miwa sighs, flopping back on the couch. She should get up, but the warmth of the blankets calls to her.

It takes her a while, but eventually she gives in, padding over to the coffee pot. It’s when she does, that she sees the note. 

_ Had to run an errand, sorry. Hopefully you like the coffee.  _

_ If you’re free this evening, we should go for supper.  _

_ xo Alisa  _

Miwa tried not to think about the ‘xo’ too much.

The rest of the day goes quickly. Too quickly? She’s late. She thanks whatever gods are out there that the rain hasn’t broken through yet and Miwa slides into the restaurant, trying to catch her breath. 

“For one?” The hostess asks, blatantly looking past the fact that Miwa looks like she just ran a marathon. 

Miwa lets out a cough, shaking her head. “No... for two. Haiba Alisa? She should already be here.” 

The hostess looks down at her book before nodding, gesturing for Miwa to follow her. She leads her near the back of the restaurant, in a quiet, closed-off booth. 

“Here you go. Your server will be back in a moment.” 

Miwa nods. “Thank you very much.” She slips into the booth, eyes meeting Alisa’s. “Sorry I’m late.”

Alisa closes her book, placing it on the table. “It’s no worry.” 

“I hope you weren’t waiting long.” 

“I wasn’t.” Alisa smiles, and Miwa tries to ignore the butterflies that come with it. “Besides, my book was good company.” 

The waiter comes and takes their orders, bringing water for the both of them. When they’re gone, Alisa goes right into business. 

“So… we have two more small tournaments we should enter, plus prep for the actual tournament.” 

“Do we have to?” 

“We should. Just to establish ourselves a little more.” 

“We haven’t done that enough?” 

“It wouldn’t hurt to do it a bit more.”

“Right, of course. Okay… two more.”

* * *

After dinner, Miwa takes Alisa home, both of them opting to take a cab this time, but Miwa decides to walk back to her apartment. 

She lets the breeze blow through her, the cool air calming her nerves. She thinks back over the past few weeks. 

The countless hours spent playing chess. Studying. Tournaments. “Dates”. The realization that Miwa has spent more time with Alisa than… well anyone else really… isn’t lost on her. The weird thing? She didn’t mind.

With the exception of a few people - like Saeko and, by proxy, Akiteru - Miwa didn’t really spend time with too many people. She didn’t mind being alone. 

Her mind drifts to their games then. The sheer amount seemed almost unreal. Honestly? She probably knows Alisa’s moves better than her own at this point.  _ Which was the whole point, _ she reminds herself. This understanding of Alisa had opened up a cavern of knowledge. This whole other world, that Miwa hadn’t even imagined getting to see a glimpse of. She knew Alisa in a way she didn’t know anyone else. 

And yet... there was still so much Miwa doesn't know. That she wants to know. 

This was dangerous thinking. 

She had to be careful. 

Careful not to mess up. Careful to not get caught up in the act of it all. In the glamour and the charm of all that is Alisa. 

Careful not to get  _ too _ comfortable. 

After all, Alisa doesn't really have feelings for her.


	4. Chapter 4

The train pulls out of the station smoothly and Miwa is again blown away by how steady they feel. You would think that a big machine barrelling across the Japanese landscape would shake at least a little bit, but no. 

The silence between them these days is a comfortable one. As much as Miwa wouldn’t care to admit it, she found the other woman’s company comforting. They had spent so many hours together, that at this point, it was weirder for her  _ not _ to be around. 

“Want to practice?” 

Alisa just smiles and gives her a small nod, pulling out a travel chess set. 

“Regular or speed chess?

That gets a laugh out of her. “How about regular this time?” 

“You just say that because you know I’d win if we did speed chess.” 

“Perhaps.” 

They take the game seriously, but the air around them is light. Miwa can almost predict every move Alisa will make at this point, and although some of Miwa’s moves are still ‘out of left field’ as Alisa often tells her, Alisa has gotten better at being able to anticipate them all the same. 

“I’m actually… kind of excited for this.” Miwa smiles, moving her bishop. 

“Honestly? Me too.” Alisa grins and the two of them burst into light laughter. There’s a glint in her eyes when she speaks next. “Checkmate.” 

Miwa gapes at the board before rolling her eyes. “I’ll get you next time.” 

“So you say.” 

“So I know.” 

“Mhm… whatever you say.” 

* * *

There’s a lot of time to think on a long train ride. Too much time, perhaps. 

Miwa glances out the window. The weight of Alisa’s head weighs heavy on her shoulder, but she doesn’t mind. 

The weight of what deep shit she’s in?  _ That _ she minds. 

Looking back, she should have known it would happen. She should have known that, unless Alisa turned out to be an absolute  _ nightmare _ (she hadn’t), that she would have gotten feelings for her. 

Looking back at all the hours she had spent looking over their games, the hours she had thought about her… it made sense. Maybe she had feelings before this even started. But hindsight is 20/20 and Miwa didn’t care for the clear vision. 

She looks down at the girl in question, her blonde hair splayed over her shoulder, breath falling soft. 

It wasn’t like she could do anything about it anyways. 

* * *

“Hey…” 

Miwa gives Alisa a small nudge, and the blonde lifts her head, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

“Did I fall asleep?” 

“You did. We’re here though.” She says, nodding towards the station as the train pulls in. 

“Sorry.” 

“F...For what?” 

“For falling asleep on you.” 

“It’s okay.” 

Once the train stops, they grab their bags and make their way to the hotel. A short walk, much to Miwa’s relief. When it comes into view, they can’t help but let out a little gasp. 

The tall building is just as grand as they could have imagined. Its large windows and clean facade is almost picture-perfect. People are streaming in and out of the building and the two of them meld seamlessly into the crowd. They luck out; most of the wandering people making their way to various areas of the hotel rather than the front desk. 

“Name?” 

“Kageyama Miwa and Haiba Alisa.” 

“Ah yes. You’re here for the tournament?” 

Alisa nods, “Yes.” 

They get their key and head up to the room, all 10 floors it takes to get there. 

“Well… Here we go I suppose.” 

She slides the key in the door, and Miwa can’t help but feel like it was some kind of passage. They were finally  _ here. _

They drop their bags in the front, hanging their coats up on the rack. 

“This is a really nice room.” 

“It really is. They weren’t holding back, huh?” Miwa wanders around the corner, but she stops short, Alisa bumping into her at the sudden stop. 

“Wh-”

“Oh.” 

They glance at each other briefly before looking back at the bed. 

“Should we-” 

Alisa shakes her head. “We can’t. It would be suspicious if we were uncomfortable with sharing a bed.” 

“Right,” Miwa nods in kind. “Well, this is fine. I can take the floor or something.” 

Alisa rests her hand on Miwa’s arm, a soft smile on her face. “I think we are good enough friends at this point, we can share a bed.” 

“Only if you’re okay with it.” 

“I am if you are.”

“Well, that settles that then.” 

They get comfortable then, pulling their bags into the main room and unpacking their things. Alisa settles quickly on the bed, book in hand. 

“Do you need the washroom? I’m going to shower.” 

“No, it’s all yours.” 

She gives her a nod before heading to the washroom, turning the shower on. She lets the hot water run over her, mind drifting to the situation at hand. How did everything happen so fast? It seemed not long ago that she was pitching this idea to her, and now here she was, sharing a room - sharing a  _ bed _ \- with someone she once thought to be her rival. 

Though they were still rivals, she supposed. But they were also friends now. 

Friends. 

This was fine. 

* * *

“Still reading?” 

Alisa nods. “It’s a decent read.”

“What’s it about?” Miwa towels her hair off, wandering towards the other side of the bed. She moves to sit, but she can’t help but hesitate. Alisa just looks at her.

“I don’t bite, you know.”

Miwa laughs, but she moves to pace the room instead. 

“We have the interview tomorrow.” 

“I know.”

“We need to talk about that.”

“I know.” She sighs. “Would you stop pacing? Please?” 

Miwa ignores her, but stops at the end of the bed. “We need a story of how we got together.”

“I know. Please... Just leave it to me.”

“Shouldn’t we make a plan?” 

“I have a plan.” 

She raises an eyebrow. “Care to share it?”

“Please stop worrying about it. We have more important things to worry about.” 

“Like what?” 

“Like your shitty defense.” She says it, but there’s a joking glint in her eyes. And something else. Miwa doesn’t push. Alisa wants to move on, she understands. The conversation of them dating is uncomfortable. Of course it was. 

“You sound pretty cocky for someone who’s going to lose.”

They slip back into the teasing so easily, it makes it almost possible to ignore the tension that lays over them. Almost. 

They play a game then, but Miwa’s head isn’t in it. She isn’t thinking about the game. She’s thinking about Alisa, as she often found herself doing these days. And how pretty she looked sleeping in her bed at her apartment. And how frustrating she is in games. How frustrating it is that she’s so hard to beat… and how much she loves that. 

“You’re distracted.”

Her eyes snap up, looking at the person who had infiltrated her thoughts so much. “I’m just nervous,” She lies. 

“You’re not known for getting nervous.”

“It’s different this time.” 

“Checkmate.” 

She lets out a sigh. 

They don’t talk about it. Miwa for fear of breaching something that she wasn’t ready to talk about, Alisa for... Well, who knows? Miwa chalks it up to not wanting to think about them together. 

_ I mean, why would she?  _


	5. Chapter 5

When she wakes, she’s alone. Not that she’s surprised. It seems Alisa is an early riser. She stretches, taking her time to wake up, her joints making popping complaints along the way. She can hear voices in the front hall, one is Alisa, but she doesn’t recognize the other. She peeks over to the hallway, pulling the blankets higher up. 

Alisa notices her when she walks in and she smiles. 

“I got you coffee.” 

It smells amazing. It’s almost enough to get her jumping out of bed. But not quite. 

“What time is it?” Alisa is about to answer, but Miwa’s eyes catch the clock on the bedside table. “Nevermind. Too early is the answer.” 

She gets up anyways as Alisa sets up breakfast in the side room. Miwa crawls out of bed and walks over, running her hand through her hair loosely. Yawning, she takes the cup from Alisa, nodding her thanks. 

The two pick at their breakfast in comfortable silence. Whatever tension that was present the night before had disappeared. For now, at least. 

“What's the plan for the day?”

“Not much.” Miwa picks up a strawberry and rolls it through her fingers. “Because our ranks are high, we don’t play until tomorrow.”

“There is the interview.”

Ah. And there’s the tension. Miwa sends a hope out that once the interview is over it'll go away.

“Right. The interview.” 

“It’ll be fine.”

“I know.”

“Want to do something before that?” Alisa begins peeling an orange. “We could go check out the tournament? Or the city?” 

Miwa smiles. “Yeah. That sounds nice.” 

* * *

They wander down to the lobby once they're dressed, going through the different levels. So many games going on at the same time… it really was something else. 

Alisa points out a few things about the games as they walk, but Miwa’s mind is elsewhere. She just lets Alisa’s talk, the calming tones soothing whatever nerves she has as they walk. Her hand is swinging between them but when she brushes Alisa’s, Miwa pulls hers back. There’s something unreadable in Alisa’s eyes then. 

“Sorry,” She mutters out. 

“What are you sorry for?” 

Miwa just clamps her jaw shut, muttering a “Nevermind.”

Alisa looks like she’s going to say more, but Miwa spots Saeko and Akiteru approaching and waves them over. Alisa slips her hand into Miwa’s who looks at her, surprised.

“We have to pretend, right?” 

“... Right.” Pretend. It’s just pretend. But the longer they ‘pretend’ the harder it is for Miwa to pretend the weight of Alisa’s hand in hers doesn’t make her heart do things. 

“Hi!” 

“Hello you two.” They give a small bow as they approach. 

“Are you guys playing today?” Miwa looks between the two of them. 

They nod and Saeko answers. “We are. You guys aren’t, are you?” 

Miwa shakes her head. “No, we start tomorrow. We just have our interview today.” 

“Right, of course.” 

“Which we’ll be late for if we don’t hurry up,” Alisa smiles, giving a small tug on Miwa’s hand. 

“Right. Want to get lunch later?” She says the latter to the other pair.

“I would love to. What say you, love?” 

Saeko nods. “I’ll text you later.” 

They wave their goodbyes then and go their separate ways. 

The room the interview takes place in is bright, stage lights facing their chairs. Miwa’s nerves are jumping but they’re somewhat soothed by Alisa’s hand in hers. She feels a soft squeeze before the hand is gone and she looks up at the other girl.    
  


“It’ll be okay.” She whispers. “Don’t worry so much.” 

They take their seats and turn their attention to the interviewer as he clears his throat, jumping right into the questions. 

“We have here with us, two of our most discussed players. Kageyama Miwa and Haiba Alisa. Top ranking in any tournament they’ve played in, you guys are often pitted against each other, are you not?” 

They both nod, but Miwa answers, giving a small smile. “We are, yes.”

“Does that strain the relationship at all?” 

Alisa laughs and Miwa can’t help but notice how natural she looks in front of the cameras. “Quite the contrary. No one stimulates my mind quite like Miwa does. It's… refreshing.” 

Miwa feels her cheeks heat and she lets out a laugh. “I could say the same for you.” 

“Now, you guys were talked about a lot after you signed up, big names, you know, it was bound to happen, of course. But you guys didn't get together until just before the tournament, did you?” 

Miwa glances at Alisa nervously, but she answers the question smoothly, reaching over to take Miwas hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She gives an easy smile to Miwa and then to the interviewer. 

“Not to the public eye. We’ve actually been seeing each other for quite a while.”

“Can we ask the question everyone has been asking: how did you guys get together?” 

Alisa gives Miwa’s hand another squeeze. 

“Of course. I met Miwa at a chess tournament, which, unsurprising, really. But she was at my first tournament ever... I’ve.... I've been enamoured with her ever since.”

Miwa looks over and sees a distant look in Alisa's eyes. Like she's not here. She continues, and Miwa can't look anywhere else but at her. 

“She was so intriguing. So bold. Even though I had just started playing in tournaments, I hadn't really had any problems… until her. All my other games... I had finished early. But Miwa? I lost. I didn't lose right away, but god was it a fight. It was the fight that got me. No one had ever... Challenged me like that.” She looks at the interviewer then, and lets out a little laugh. “Of course, we didn't get together then. We didn't even know each other. But in the years following… well… it always seemed to come down to us, didn't it?” She looks at Miwa, and there's something kind of sad in her eyes, but it's gone as quickly as Miwa sees it. 

“It really does.” 

“No one compares to Miwa.” She sounds genuine there. “Eventually, after one of our games, a particularly long one at that, I finally gathered up the courage to ask her. And she smirked, the cocky bastard.”

Miwa nudges her with her shoulder at that, a chuckle bubbling up out of her mouth. 

“I said yes though.” 

“What did you guys do?” 

Miwa gives Alisa's hand a squeeze then, taking this answer for herself. She pictures the two of them, thinks of the things she wants to do with her, and the answer flows from her as if it actually happened.

“We drove around the city. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it was… amazing. We took turns showing each other our favourite places around the city. I took her to my favourite book store-” 

“I took her to a park. They were having a light festival that night.” 

“It felt… magical. We ended the night on a bridge, watching the lights reflect on the water of the river.”

Alisa is looking at her. “It was beautiful.”

Miwa can't tear her eyes away. “Not as beautiful as you.” 

They snap out of it as the interviewer lets out a happy sigh. “That's… amazing. So, do you think you guys will win the tournament?”

Alisa brings Miwa’s hand up to her mouth, pressing a soft kiss to her hand. “As long as I’m not playing against her? Then I have no doubt.” 

Miwa tries not to think about how natural it feels. How easy it feels. What she wouldn't give to live in the lie they just told. How if she left logic behind for just a minute, it was like she could pretend. But that’s just it. 

It was just pretend.

Miwa is pulled back to the present by the sound of the interviewer thanking them for their time, but it sounds distant, and all she can think about is Alisa's hand in hers. 

She seemed to be thinking about that a lot lately. 

* * *

As they make their way to the restaurant, the air feels lighter. It’s like some big revelation happened, only Miwa didn’t actually know what it was. She wasn’t complaining though. 

“Took you long enough.” Saeko waves them over from where she’s sitting. 

Miwa rolls her eyes. “Some of us had things to do, you know.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Speaking of! How’d the interview go?”    
  
Miwa and Alisa share a look. 

“It went good.” 

“‘Good’? That’s all I get?” 

“Yes.” 

“Cruel.” 

“When’s your interview?” 

“In a few hours. Did it take long?” 

Miwa shakes her head. “Not particularly. Maybe fifteen minutes or so. How was the game?” 

Akiteru smiles. “We won.” 

“Of course you did.” 

The rest of lunch goes by quickly, in the way things do when you’re in good company. It takes a little bit, but Alisa soon warms up to Miwa’s friends, and it’s as if the four of them had been hanging out for years. 

When they get up to say their goodbyes, Alisa’s hand slips into Miwa’s, almost on instinct. 

“Well?” 

“Well… what?” 

“Where to?” 

“Back to the hotel?” 

“Or….” She pulls Miwa along before stopping in front of a store. “We could go shopping a bit?” 

Miwa scrunches up her nose. “Shopping?” 

She grins. “Come on… When was the last time you had free time in Tokyo? It’ll be fun.” 

“Okay, okay.” She lets out a laugh. “For a bit.” 

* * *

“Here try this!” 

Miwa looks up as yet another shirt is pushed over the top of the door. She laughs. 

“Hold  _ on _ . I’m still trying on the last one.” 

She pops out, giving a small turn when she exits. 

“Well?” 

  
Alisa is grinning from ear to ear. “It looks amazing! You should buy it.” 

“But what about the other one?” She looks at herself in the mirror, turning to look from all angles. 

“Buy both.” 

“Wh… I can’t just buy both!” 

“Why not?” 

“You know… you make a very strong point there.” 

When their eyes meet, laughter sounds. And it’s so  _ easy. _ The nature of the two of them. These days, that is. Miwa can almost forget that they used to be rivals. It feels as if they had been friends for a very long time. And maybe... in their own way? They had. 

With enough bags to weigh them down - okay, she admits when talking about it later, that was an exaggeration - they move on to grab coffee, electing to walk for a while before they head back. 

The light breeze is cool that day, but it’s nice. Not too cold, as earlier that year had proven. They walk for a while before they decide to go back to the hotel, but they stop when they spot a park with chess tables. Miwa looks over at her, and she has a look to rival her own, the same thought shared between the two of them. 

_ Let’s play.  _

It was almost a ritual, at this point. But no matter how often they played, Miwa never grew tired of it. No matter how well she learned Alisa’s moves, she always managed to surprise her somehow. It was still always a challenge. No matter how much she learned, Alisa learned just as much. They did. Together. 

She could wax on about them for as long as she’d like. The back and forth. The push and pull. The mind vs the heart. Strategy vs instinct. Both equally important, both equally strong. 

Together they have worked together. Changed together. 

Grew together. 

Miwa thinks a bit more about her moves now and Alisa… Well, she still thinks a lot, but she trusts her muscle memory more. For certain moves anyway. Especially for opens. 

They play a few rounds in the park. Idle chatter about their first match the next day comes through. Who they are, what they know about them, the styles they’re known for. 

“Guess we’re taking our bags to dinner then.” 

She laughs. 

“I guess so.” 

They don’t go to dinner right away, though, choosing to walk a bit further instead. They stumble upon a festival after a little while of walking. The lights bright against the dark of the night. A light festival, of all things. The irony isn’t lost on Miwa. Her mind flits back to the interview and the date Alisa had said they had allegedly gone on. In her mind… it looked like this. 

But this is not a date. It's just a coincidence. 

And for a moment - just a moment - she lets herself pretend. She lets herself pretend that Alisa’s hand is in hers for them, and not for this scheme they had concocted. Logically she knows that’s not true. She knows it’s in case the press are around, or other competitors. A safety precaution, nothing more. But it feels  _ so _ nice. So she lets herself pretend. Miwa continues to pretend as she leans her head on the other girl's shoulder. 

They had found a spot on a nearby bench, facing the river. It’s here that they watch as lanterns are raised in the sky, reflecting over the river in front of them. 

When Miwa turns to look at Alisa, she’s struck by how beautiful she is in this light. It’s streaming over her face and reflected in her eyes and it’s now that she realizes she's looking back at her. They’re looking at each other and  _ god, _ she's so close. She could reach out and kiss her.

She almost does. 

But you can only pretend for so long. 

Reality comes crashing back all too soon. Where they are and what they're doing sits uncomfortably in her mind and Miwa backs away, clearing her throat.

“Guess we should head back.” 

The unreadable look is back, but Alisa nods. 

When Miwa reaches for her hand, she pulls away. It’s slight, but Miwa notices it anyway. They join hands moments later.

But it does nothing to stop the pang from going through Miwa’s chest. 


	6. Chapter 6

Miwa wakes slowly the next day, her eyelids heavy. It takes her a moment for consciousness to come back to her, but when it does she’s struck with the realization that she’s not alone. She’s facing Alisa, her face all but buried in the back of her neck. It’s not quite what you would call spooning but... It was close. She wants so bad to reach around and wrap an arm around her waist, but she won’t. 

When she sees the clock, she shakes Alisa gently. “We should get up soon.”

Alisa rolls over, looking up at Miwa, who's leaning on an elbow and looking at her. “I'm surprised you're up this early.”

“I am capable of getting up early, you know.”

“I have yet to see evidence of this.”

“This morning.”

“That doesn't speak to pattern.”

Miwa rolls her eyes and gives her shoulder a little push. “C’mon, let's get up.”

They get ready for the day, moving seamlessly with each other. Soon enough they’re heading down to the main room, coffee in hand. 

They stride into the room and find their table quickly. The other pair looks at them coolly, giving a small bow. 

Miwa thinks back to brunch all those months ago, the talk of Suna Rintarou and Miya Osamu. They were a challenging pair, she’d give them that. Suna is cold and calculating. Osamu is rough, but he has good technique. Miwa sees a little of herself and Alisa reflected in the two. 

They knew the first game would be challenging. Starting on the second day will do that to you. They get through, as expected. 

When they move on to the next game, they deadpan. 

  
“Anyone else getting a sense of deja vu?” Miwa grins, bumping Alisa’s shoulder with her own.

“You played Osamu?” 

“Yes.”

“And he  _ lost _ .” 

Alisa just raises an eyebrow. “Again, yes.”

Not-Osamu just laughs. “Loser.”

“You shouldn't be so cocky for someone who's about to lose.” 

Atsumu gapes at that, him and Miwa locking eyes. A challenge. 

And a challenge it is. They put up a good fight - “Almost as good as Osamu”, Miwa teases after - but in the end, the girls win. 

It’s just the two games for that day, making a somewhat short day for them. 

* * *

“That smells amazing.” 

“It does!” 

Before she digs in - no matter how great it looks - she stops them for a moment. “I would like to make a toast.” 

“A toast?” Alisa laughs. “What for?” 

“To us.” She coughs, trying to ignore the blush that appears when the thought of them as an ‘us’ comes to mind. “To our win.” 

“It’s only the first day.” Alisa points out. She raises her glass anyways. “To us.” 

It feels like a date. It has all the makings of a date, really. But it's only a reminder that it's not. She could always ask, but she doesn’t even know if Alisa likes women, let alone if she would like Miwa. So she gets two more days. 

Two more days of pretend. 

Two more days of her hand in hers. 

Two more days of waking up next to her. 

It’s more than she could hope for, really. 

* * *

In their room, shouts can be heard, but laughter follows right after. 

“Not again!” 

“Now who’s good at speed chess.” 

“Still me,” Miwa says, tipping her chin up haughtily. 

If she’s being honest, she’s impressed Alisa had won so many. She’s not altogether surprised - Alisa is an amazing chess player, this is nothing new. You’d think her pride would be hurt by it, but it isn’t. If anything, she’s… proud. 

Miwa flops back on the bed then, the pieces jostling off the board. Alisa chuckles, putting them away carefully. 

“I want… cake,” Miwa says from the bed, staring at the ceiling. 

“Cake?” 

She sits up then, looking at Alisa. “Cake!” She grabs the menu from the bedside table and flips through it to desserts before picking up the phone. “Would you like one?” 

Alisa contemplates it before sitting next to Miwa, peering over her shoulder.    
  


“Hello! Could we please get room service to 10D?” She covers the bottom half of the phone then, turning to Alisa. “What would you like?” 

“The lemon one please.” 

“Yes, we would like 184 and 192 from the menu, please! Thank you so much.”

She hangs up the phone, turning to Alisa with a grin. “It should be here in 15 minutes.” 

Miwa leans back, slinging an arm over her eyes. “You know, I can’t say I’m surprised we won.” 

“Me neither,” Alisa says, picking up her book. “We make a good team.”

Miwa’s heart tightens at that. In a happy-to-hear-it but sad-it’s-not-the-meaning-she-wants kind of way. 

“We do, don’t we?” 

“Better than I ever thought we would.” 

“So you think about us?” The teasing front was so easy to slip on at this point, it was almost second nature. 

“Something like that.” Alisa’s voice is quiet when she says it. There seems to be something beyond it, but Miwa doesn’t want to push. She wants to. She wants to ask. But the uncertainty is her safety net. Better not to know, than to have the answer you don’t want to hear. Or maybe not.

Miwa peeks her head out from under her arm to look at her, watching her with soft eyes as Alisa continues to read. The silence is palpable and she wants to say something, but it’s broken by the knock on the door. Alisa practically leaps out of bed, returning soon with the food. 

“This was a great idea.” Miwa grins. “Just look at those.” 

Alisa just shakes her head, amused. She hands Miwa the chocolate cake, settling on the bed beside her. 

“Speaking of great ideas. Want to watch a movie?” Miwa says, looking at her. “And before you protest: we practiced all day. And won our games. And it’s not finals tomorrow. I think we can afford a small break.” 

“Okay, okay. Sure.” 

They settle on some rom-com that’s playing and the tension eases. Whatever moment they were having had passed and they soon fall prey to the comedic tropes throughout the film. What starts as giggles turns to raucous laughter. 

It lifts Miwa’s heart a little bit, and the more Alisa laughs, the more she laughs, and the more she laughs, the harder she laughs and soon she’s laughing so hard she’s breathless. Her lungs hurt but, for that moment at least, she feels weightless. 

“Why can’t they just talk to each other?” She rolls her eyes and gestures at the screen. “I mean, come on.” 

“It’s so obvious they have feelings for each other. They should just say it. Have it out in the open.” 

“Exactly! What’s so hard about just telling them? What do you have to lose?” Miwa says, but she glances back at Alisa before looking back at the screen. 

The irony of her statement is not lost on her. 

* * *

Miwa’s head is fuzzy. Sleep clouds at the edge of her vision and she barely registers the movement beneath her. Somewhere in the back of her mind is the realization that she had fallen asleep on Alisa, but she’s so tired, it just gets tucked away. She can feel Alisa is shaking her gently, lips just by her ear, a soft whisper in the dark of the night.

“Hey, I'm just gonna shift us down a bit so you don't hurt your neck, okay?” 

She wants to answer but sleep is about to overtake her again so she just nods, letting Alisa shift them down. She drifts off, unaware that she's curled up next to her. 

* * *

Miwa wakes with a start, jolting up in bed. Her breathing is heavy, panic tingling over her skin. It had been a while since she felt like that. The nightmares hadn’t come back in ages and yet, here they were. 

There’s shifting beside her as Alisa wakes, the jolt having brought her out from sleep. There's concern in her voice as she tentatively touches Miwa’s shoulder. The touch is light, asking. Miwa pulls her hand closer wordlessly, unable to explain as her breaths heave. Alisa’s arms wrap around her, holding her from behind. 

“Hey... hey it's okay. Just breathe with me, okay?”

Miwa nods and Alisa takes big breaths. It takes a few tries, but eventually Miwa manages to slow her breaths enough to match the breathing. They breathe in tandem, their breaths the only sound in the quiet hotel room. 

Only once she’s calmed down does Alisa ask her, her voice soft. It holds no judgement, only concern as she gently if she wants to talk about it. Miwa just shakes her head, feeling the exhaustion of the panic taking its toll. 

“Would you like to go back to sleep?” 

Miwa nods again, and Alisa lays the two of them down, her arms still wrapped around the other girl. 

In the comfort of Alisa's arms, she sleeps soundly. 


	7. Chapter 7

Consciousness comes to her slowly, along with fragments of what had happened the night before. The pounding in her head stops sleep from pulling her back under so she cracks her eyes open, taking in the room. The morning sun streams into the room, bathing it in a light glow. As she shifts, she feels Alisa shift in kind and she stops for fear of waking her. She gazes at her, allowing herself the indulgence of this moment. The warmth and the comfort she brings. There’s something in it that feels correct. But that’s perhaps wishful thinking. When Alisa begins to wake, Miwa calls out to her softly.    
  


“Alisa?” 

The other girl turns to her then, green eyes staring back at her. Miwa could almost imagine fondness in them. Almost. 

“Good morning.” She says, looking down at her.

Neither move for a moment, stuck in time. Until the alarm sounds, that is. 

“I guess we should get up.” 

“I suppose so.” They untangle their limbs and get up then, silence falling over them. 

“You had a nightmare.” 

She freezes where she is, leaning over to grab her clothes for the day and she groans inwardly. She had kind of hoped that she wouldn’t remember. Or that Alisa would at least pretend not to remember. No such luck. 

“I… I did. Yes.” She says, straightening up. 

“Do you get them often?” 

“Sometimes… I haven’t for a while.” 

“Are you… okay?” 

She nods, idly folding the shirt she was holding. “Yeah. I… Yeah.” She turns then, facing Alisa. “Thank you, by the way. For-” 

“It’s okay. It was no problem.” 

“Still I… Thank you.” 

“Really. It’s... It’s fine.” 

They’re quiet after that. 

* * *

The next two days fly by. Game after game - some harder than others. It’s a blur of moves and pieces and checkered boards. Timers and referees. Team after team. 

Iwaizumi Hajime and Sawamura Daichi.

Yamaguchi Tadashi and Yachi Hitoka.

Konoha Akinori and Akaashi Keiji.

Futakuchi Kenji and Aone Takanobu.

Orjiro Aran and Kita Shinsuke - they were the hardest to beat. 

Takeda Ittetsu and Ukai Keishin.

Tanaka Ryuunosuke and Shimizu Kiyoko. 

The more games they win, the more attention they gather. Whispers follow them. Down the hall. To their games. Over breakfast. During lunch. It was inescapable. 

But unsurprising. Their reputation preceded them, and now, together, a larger one proceeded. 

Talk of their teamwork. And of their rivalry. Miwa understood though. You would think people who have been rivals for so long wouldn't be able to work so well together. She knew this. Knew it better than most would, actually. Then again, who would know you better than your rival? Hours dedicated to learning their technique, their tricks… all in the hopes of a leg up. Anything to get ahead. 

These same tactics are now being used to help. To work together. 

* * *

When their day is over, they go to look at the board to see the line-up. Miwa gives their hands a small squeeze when they see their names. Finals. 

Their opponents are yet to be determined. They go to watch the game, finding a seat on the balcony. 

They watch carefully. Alisa makes small notes in her book for them to study later. 

Despite the full room, the air is tense and everyone is dead silent. They watch as the silver-haired man makes the final blow, his quiet but sturdy ‘checkmate’ echoing around the room. 

The room bursts then, the tense seal of quiet broken with the decisive win as people cheer. Down below, the two teams shake hands. 

They file out quickly, with enough jostling from the crowd to last Miwa a whole month, and head back to their room. 

“Do you think the video will be up yet?” Alisa asks, sliding the key through the door lock. 

“I mean, they just finished.” 

“Yeah, but they’re quick about these kinds of things.” 

They enter the room, sliding their coats off. Miwa is only just hanging hers up when Alisa calls from the next room.

“Miwa! It’s up!” 

She rushes over, peering over Alisa’s shoulder, her hand resting solidly on the other girl’s back. 

They watch carefully. Every move, every note they take, each time a piece is taken - they take notes. Every now and then Miwa reaches down to point things out when she sees them, and Alisa marks it in her book. And then they watch it again. 

After the second time, they stare at the empty screen for a minute. 

“They’re good.” Alisa breaks the silence, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. 

Miwa crouches, looking up at her from beside the chair. She gives her a smile. “So are we.” 

Alisa looks down at Miwa, quiet. They stay there long enough that Miwa isn’t quite sure she hasn’t done something wrong. She’s about to apologize when Alisa speaks. 

“Would you like to go for dinner?”

And there's something in her tone, or perhaps the look in her eyes... It feels different this time. Tentative almost. Miwa nods. 

They leave, hands intertwined before they even leave the room.

* * *

“The grey-haired one-” 

“Sugawara-san.” 

“Yes. Him. He always opens the same, from what I’ve heard.” 

“Oh?” 

Alisa nods. “Supposedly.” 

They talk about chess for a while. Because of course they do. 

But they also talk about other things. 

They talk about their favourite baked goods and where they saw the most beautiful night sky. Alisa talks about the time she learned to skateboard and Miwa offers to teach her again. They talk about something they've always wanted to do - Miwa wants to go ice skating, Alisa says she would take her - and there's something so natural about the way their conversation goes. Miwa tries not to look too far into it but, god, she wants this to be real. 

But then again, it is. 

Even if they're not dating, these conversations are real. And at the very least she has a new friend. 

And maybe, just maybe, that would be enough. 


	8. Chapter 8

On the morning of the final, the air is tense. They wake up early enough for coffee but don't have much of a stomach for anything but a light snack. When they get there, their opponents are just arriving.

Oikawa Tooru and Sugawara Koushi. The best of this tournament. 

The men give them easy smiles, and they smile back. Hands are shaken, each and every one, before they sit. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll take our win gracefully,” The brown-haired one - Oikawa, Miwa recalls - says, giving a smirk. 

“Confident, are we?” Miwa asks.

“It’s not unfounded,” He replies.

Alisa chuckles, pulling out her notebook. “She never said it wasn’t. It’ll be an honour when we beat you.” 

“Now who’s confident.” 

They look at each other and shrug, replying at the same time. 

“Us.” 

* * *

The game is a long and arduous one. The cameras are on them, the crowd is huge, and the stress is so high. Good god, it's high. This is  _ it _ . 

“Alisa? It’s your turn.” She gives the girl a little nudge who nods in response, but she doesn’t move. “Alisa?” 

It’s then that Miwa sees it. The tremor in her hand, the lip pulled between her teeth. She didn’t know how she hadn’t seen the nerves rolling of the other girl before. It’s odd. She would never have thought that Alisa, of all people, would get this nervous, the cool demeanour of the girl, cracked.

Miwa reaches out tentatively and takes Alisa’s hand in hers. She rubs small circles over her palm, watching as Alisa visibly relaxes and makes her move, cornering the other team’s queen against the edge of the board. 

From there, it snowballs and soon the girls have taken their bishop. Then their knight. Then their rook. And soon enough… their king. 

Noise booms as the crowd erupts, and cameras flash. Miwa and Alisa stand to shake the hands of their opponents before turning to each other, stars in their eyes, almost with disbelief. Miwa sees the soft smile on her face before it smoothes over into a grin, and soon, she has one to match. They hug, pulling each other endlessly close. 

“We won!” The exclamation is said quietly in her ear, but it’s all Miwa needs to hear. They pull back, looking at each other. 

“We  _ won!” _

They're still in each other's arms, but they don't care. They're looking into each other's eyes like they’re the only two in the entire world and that's when Miwa sees. Sees what she had been missing this entire time. Sees feelings that Alisa has, perhaps trying to tell her this entire time. They're there, bare and on the surface to see. She kicks herself for not seeing it earlier. 

Her eyes flit down to her lips and she wants nothing more than to press her lips against Alisa’s. 

But she doesn’t. 

Instead, she settles, leaning up to press a soft kiss to her cheek. 

“We really won.”

* * *

The feeling of winning carries them into the evening, through photos and interviews and questions and congratulations. When they get back to the hotel room, there’s champagne and strawberries waiting for them and they laugh. 

“I think I’ve had strawberries every day of this tournament.” 

“To be fair, it’s the superior fruit.” 

Alisa scoffs, putting the trophy on the table next to everything. “It is not.” 

“No? Then pray tell, what is?” 

“Peaches. Clearly.” 

“Hm. I will consider it.” They laugh again. They had been laughing a lot that night, but the giddy energy was contagious. 

Miwa pours the champagne, giving a glass to Alisa and sitting next to her. She holds up her glass. 

“To our winning success.” 

Alisa smiles. “To us.” 

“To us.” She repeats back. 

They clink glasses and drink, settling back into their chairs. They recount the win excitedly, bright smiles on their faces.

“Oh, and when you sacrificed the pawn and they fell for it? Absolutely amazing.” 

“Boy, when they almost got our queen... Jeez I could barely breathe.” 

Laughter fills the room and Miwa leans forward to take a sip of her drink. When the laughter fades, the air has changed. Miwa glances at Alisa, but she speaks before Miwa can say anything. 

“You know... I thought you might kiss me then. After we won.” 

Miwa opens her mouth to say something, closes it, then opens it again.

“I thought about it.” A pause. “I didn’t want our first kiss to be for them. If we did kiss… I wanted it to be because we want to. Not because we have to.”

“And?” 

“And what?” 

“Do you?” 

Miwa leans forward, her hand moving up to cup Alisa’s cheek.

“I do.” 


End file.
